North Bay's Nusha Ramsoondar, a NOSM University medical student, has won the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) Award for 2022.
The award recognizes medical students who have completed their second year of study and exemplify perseverance, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Recipients have an established track record of community leadership, superior communication skills, and demonstrated interest in advancing knowledge.
“I am honoured and grateful to be chosen to receive this award,” says Ramsoondar in a news release.“I feel very privileged to be a medical student at NOSM University and even more so that I’m able to support my peers through my advocacy efforts. I am fortunate to be part of an environment where I can grow my leadership skills. My experience here reassures me that I’m in the right field of study.”
She completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at Nipissing University, followed by a Master of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. Currently, she is involved in research focusing on improving social accountability standards across healthcare institutions.
“Nusha is a strong advocate for equity and anti-racism in medicine and education,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, NOSM University’s President. “She has generously volunteered her time and energy to the University’s equity initiatives. As Student Council Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, Nusha has led various educational and advocacy initiatives focused on anti-racism, bias, microaggressions, and leadership development.”
Ramsoondar was part of the student-led team that organized the Dean’s Lecture Series in 2021 titled, Racism in Medicine—a timely conversation between physicians of colour and learners on the effects of racism towards physicians and learners of colour within the healthcare system and medical education system.
Having recently begun her third-year Comprehensive Community Clerkship in Timmins, Ramsoondar says she works to harness her passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion—particularly within the healthcare field. “I am reminded of Dr. Gigi Osler’s words during the Racism in Medicine event—words I try to remember as I continue to better my skills as a leader: 'Why not me? I, too, have the potential for breaking glass ceilings for the marginalized individuals entering medical education behind me.”
Ramsoondar will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and a travel subsidy to attend the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she will have the opportunity to meet CMHF Laureates and interact with health leaders from across the country says a NOSM release.
